ERRORS!!!!!

I’ve been quite upset at times, and again today, after rereading information about some of the Heneker family. The information is published in a book about a town where they lived and the people who lived there. I bought the book when I travelled with my brother from W.A. to revisit the town about 3 years ago. I was very excited to see a new book written about the area and people.

As I started to read, and every time I attempt to read it again, there are some really glaring mistakes. Some very simple. One sentence mentions my great grandfather and his wife, and that they had 3 children! This I knew of course was wrong, as my own grandfather wasn’t mentioned and also a photo and other information show that had 10 or 11 children, (can’t quite remember at the moment). A page over it talks about the same couple and their large family of 11 children I think it was, and also a photograph of the family and parents. This is just one issue. Many many errors, with incorrect dates, one says my g g g grandfather was born in 1851 but was actually born in 1826 in the UK, and the other children of the family (who emigrated to Australia with their family in 1839!!!!) I have a copy of his baptismal record from the Parish records in the UK. (which I paid for and was sent to me). On and on it goes, and I don’t really want to bag the author. Partly I think, was the author given different/incorrect information by people she may have interviewed, and also got different dates etc,? even the first initial of one the original family which is incorrect. Further on the same person is mentioned with his correct first name and surname. There are a few references toothers who had provided information about the family to the author.

The author is a fairly well known South Australian author I believe, especially involved in some historical research on other outback subjects. The book says this author is a researcher. The author also thanks contributors in the Preface of the book. So my issue is this, “do I contact the author with an initial concern, or correct the information at least that which I can verify” (from certificates obtained from the UK). I don’t want to criticise the author, and I believe some of the contributors who I met many years ago were already elderly, and am wondering if they now, 10 years later (since I first met them) have confused or mixed some information up? Some of the mistakes are so startling, that is really disturbs me. I don’t usually criticise others as I know the work done must have been a real challenge and there was probably a lot of time put into collating and writing the book. It seems information has been obtained, then put together with information about the same persons, but that the information might have come from different sources , is conflicting and wasn’t noticed when the book was written. I thought it would have been picked up when editing, however of course, many families and names are mentioned, so unless the editor had first hand knowledge of each individual, they may have been checking more for spelling and such. I have also realised of course that as many other families are recorded in the book, that there may or may not be errors also in their records. Of course I can’t be sure of that.

I am so worried about offending the author, but having picked the book up again today for the first time in 12 months, I felt conflicted and upset all over again. It seems if the book was republished at any time, and the same errors were left in, it would be a shame. Also there is one particular sentence which I feel criticises the behaviour of one of the women, and I believe this must have come from a family members memories. It doesn’t put the person in a good light, and doesn’t seem to be needed in the context of the book, which is a history, not a story about a particular family.

Obviously I have purposely omitted the name of the book and the author, as I don’t want to offend, or worse! I am hoping that anyone who reads this post might be interested in commenting their thoughts on the dilemma, or should I just ignore it all??

Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to read this.

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Working now as a nurse, I previously worked as a Library Technician at the State Library of South Australia and then Noarlunga Library Services. I was lucky enough to work at the State Library in the Archives department, which is now a separate entity and housed at a suburban site. then Noarlunga Library Services. I always loved English and Australian history, and began my Heneker family history in about 1980, well before the advent of the internet, and now of course with so many digitised records online there is a treasure chest of information out there, and it just keeps growing. One of the most wonderful treasures we have here in Australia is the Trove website, the free digitised newspapers of nearly every place in Australia, provided for free by the National Library of Australia. This has opened up so much day to day information for people searching for further information about their ancestors. I chose to write a blog as a way for me to put down a lot of information I had that wasn't necessarily easy to slot into a "family tree" as such. And I wanted to record some of the stories of the Heneker clan, and especially James Heneker (1826-1917) who arrived in South Australia as a 12 year old boy with his family. Like most of us in the genealogy community I have become obsessed, and of course, this is really a never ending story. The community of bloggers, and also Facebook specialist pages has allowed me and many of us to learn from each other, and to use some of the many amazing tools that are out there now for us to use and enhance our research. I just want to stay awake at night reading or researching or just browsing online for more and more information and I am sure I am not alone. My one wish?? Dad Neville Laurence Heneker 1929 - 1987, this is for you, for all the things you told me, and the stories you related, often when we were up north in the Flinders Ranges, at Beltana, Hawker, Blinman and many other amazing places. I wish you were here, so I could share all this new information that has come to light. And of course for you Pa (Laurence Douglas Heneker), your stories were incredible and watching you sleep out under the stars at Arkaroola with a rock for your pillow is an image I will never forget. Oh if only we had digital cameras back then...I think of you both every time I write my words and read my books. I love you both.

4 thoughts on “ERRORS!!!!!”

A comment regarding your latest blog re the recent book about Beltana and the Heneker Family. I was at the launch in Beltana, it was also the 100th anniversary of Flyn and the flying doctor. I met the author that day and she stated that she had difficulty in contacting any Heneker’s, I was most surprised given your blog and other contact methods available. The information on the Heneker’s is inaccurate and quite frankly embarrassing given that someone may use it in the future as a reference. It makes reference to my Great Grandparents which is incorrect. My family tree is Thomas, James, James, Robert James and Robert Reginald James Heneker. Although frustrating this is only one of several misleading sources, I prefer to stick to the facts which have reliably sourced.information because this is our story.

I think I just lost the beginning of a reply to you, so not sure if it sent to you or not??? Basically so glad you are aware as well, and it’s not just me. I kept reading and going back checking in case I got it all wrong, but a lot of it is contradictory from one page to the other. I am amazed that the editor didn’t pick it up…but then again, I think if the person/s weren’t family and didn’t know as much (due to research over many years) I guess it might not have jumped out at them. Even so, researching historical information should really be better checked. Oh I have gone over your family tree info quite often, and noticed I think they lived in Cumberland Park area of Adelaide?? To be honest, I only came across the new edition of that book on Beltana 2 or 3 years ago when my brother came over from WA and we did a trip up to Beltana, as I hadn’t been there for so many years, mainly when my dear dad Neville Heneker was still alive. I saw the book at the Hawker Service Station and bought it…I started looking at it on the way home, and became really upset reading the incorrect info, which seemed pretty obvious to me straight away.

Great to know another person has seen the errors too…just so I know it’s not me….at least we can try to correct things from our end. Cheers for now and thanks again, Vicki

jjheneker

The details in the book regarding the Heneker’s are most disappointing. I met the author at the book launch in Beltana, at the same time as the Royal Flying Doctor Service 100 years anniversary. She indicated the difficulty in contacting any one for information, quite surprising given your blog and other contact methods available. The problem is that this book on Beltana may be used in the future for research purposes, most disappointing given the errors contained within. Thankfully your blog will provide some direction and correction. I have chosen to produce my own family document and provide my children with a memory stick upon which they can add their own life story and past recollections, this way the truth will prevail in the right domain. My family tree will not appear on ancestry….for a variety of reasons. My Heneker connection, Thomas, James, James, Robert James, Robert Reginald James(second son). Keep up the good work.

Oh hi, and thanks so much for your information. At times I have been going to copy the pages concerned, and write correct info, then wondered if it would just be ignored. I have read and re read at times, thinking I am wrong, but no, definitely mistakes and glad I’m not the only one. Wow, for someone who is supposedly a renowned researcher I have been really disappointed.

Thanks for bringing up the subject with her, at least…that’s so good. Sadly like you say, and esp if the book is reprinted…those mistakes will continue to be seen by others. I wouldn’t complain except I know by documentation I am right. Anyway I love your idea of putting the info on a USB stick. I have been thinking writing it up in book forms is so expensive and time consuming, and it really never finishes does it?? So that is a great idea. I only have 1 daughter…and my brother in WA. I have my tree on ancestry, but it is private, and I have also been horrified by one person with 1000s on their tree, who has James Heneker born on 26 December (correct) 1826 but born in the Cocos Islands. As I have a copy of the Parish baptismal record I am pretty sure he was born in Westwell, Kent….lol. Another person I asked via ancestry mail where he gets his info from (in a nice way of course) and he replied “oh I just copy what other people have on their tree”!!!!!!! eeek….even though I haven’t referenced all I have online (I do have the references but just slack in adding it all manually to my tree”. Evenually I will probably go off of ancestry but at present, I just find it easiest for me to see where I am up to. Also, I feel I’m reaching the end, as I started this when my daughter was only 5, about 30 years ago, before computers etc., and I was working in the archives which was then in the basement of the State Library, but could only get so far. I think now, trying to get much past Edward and Ann Heneker is really difficult as so many of them all had the same names and similar birth dates etc. Anyway..once again, thanks so much I really appreciate your feedback. Makes me feel so much better now…Cheers Vicki